After nearly four decades of being missing, a long-lost statue of The Doors’ frontman Jim Morrison has been discovered by police during an unrelated search. The white marble bust, created by Croatian artist Mladen Mikulin, was placed at Morrison’s cemetery plot in Paris on the 10th anniversary of his death in 1981. The sculpture, weighing almost 300 pounds, was found during a police search for a fraud case led by Paris prosecutors, according to a report by AFP.
The statue, which went missing in 1988, was found in relatively good condition, with only graffiti and a broken nose present – damage that occurred when it was originally stolen. Morrison’s gravesite at the Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris, known as the “Poets Corner,” has been a pilgrimage site for fans since the rock icon’s death in 1971. The area has attracted large crowds, with a riot breaking out on the 20th anniversary of Morrison’s death in 1991, requiring tear gas to disperse the rowdy fans.
Due to the ongoing interest in Morrison’s grave site, a guard has been stationed there permanently since 1993, as reported by the New York Times. Morrison was found dead in his Paris apartment in 1971, with the official cause of death listed as congestive heart failure. Despite his passing, Morrison’s legacy continues to be celebrated, with a footbridge near the Bastille in Paris being named after him earlier this year.
The discovery of the long-lost statue of Jim Morrison has brought closure to a decades-old mystery and serves as a reminder of the enduring impact of the rock legend on music and popular culture.
